Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to semiconductor device fabrication, and more specifically, to detecting an excessive force experienced by an integrated circuit or semiconductor die, or a semiconductor package containing the die that is due to sudden changes in acceleration.
Physical damage caused by dropping electronic products is generally a concern for electronic products manufacturers. For example, portable electronic devices, which can perform a variety of functions including telephonic, electronic messaging and managing personal information, can be accidentally dropped and consequently damaged. Users of these damaged electronic devices can submit warranty claims to the manufacturers of the devices. It is difficult for the manufacturers to ascertain whether the damaged devices that are received are the result of damage caused by the users or are due to certain components in the devices such as semiconductor dies or their semiconductor packages failing. In particular, it is a challenge for electronic product manufacturers to differentiate whether an electronic device received under a warranty claim was built weaker than the normal population, or whether the device experienced more extreme conditions than it was designed to withstand (e.g., dropped from an excessive height). Since the process of ascertaining whether a damaged electronic device received under a warranty claim is due to a manufacturing issue or improper handling can be difficult or impossible, some electronic manufacturers will needlessly cover repair or replacement of the device under its warranty.